Trump claims Springfield, Ohio, was ‘taken over’ by immigrants

() – Donald Trump said Saturday that Springfield, Ohio, has been “taken over by illegal immigrants” and that he doesn’t know about the bomb threats the city has been receiving since he and other Republicans spread false claims about Haitian immigrants eating pets there.

“I don’t know what happened with the bomb threats. I know it’s been taken over by illegal immigrants, and that’s a terrible thing that’s happened. Springfield was this beautiful town, and now they’re going through hell,” the former US president told reporters while visiting the Police Protective Association in Las Vegas.

The claim went viral a few weeks ago and has been promoted by prominent Republicans nationwide, including Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance. Local officials have repeatedly attempted to shut down the rumor, and the city has said there are no credible reports of animal abuse “by individuals within the immigrant community.”

As reported, Springfield City Hall was forced to close due to a bomb threat on Thursday. Two elementary schools were also evacuated on Friday based “on information received from the Springfield Police Division,” the city school district said.

Trump said Friday that the “real threat is what’s happening at our border,” rather than the bomb threats in Springfield.

The city notes on its website that approximately 12,000 to 15,000 immigrants live in Clark County, and that Haitian immigrants are there legally as part of a parole program that allows citizens and legal residents to petition for their Haitian relatives to come to the United States.

Trump’s remarks Saturday were the latest in a series of inflammatory rhetoric about immigrants this week.